


Recitations

by Laural_Rose



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Gen, Series Retelling, Three-Flat Problem, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 16:18:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3902752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laural_Rose/pseuds/Laural_Rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All that was old is new again. History repeats itself, but rarely perfectly, and myth? Myth is renewed with every retelling. </p><p>A Greek!AU sort-of-three-flat-problem, each 221-ish section encompassing a different series/season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not Brit-picked (I'm from the other Birmingham), and not beta-ed. If you catch a mistake, PLEASE comment so I can fix it.

It’s a new age, where the gods walk among us, unidentifiable, save to one another.

But one cannot record this present saga without a hero, so the history is written, but with pieces missing, because lost Clio-Now-John has yet to find one. Until he realizes he must look within for what he seeks, his story will ever be overshadowed by the divine mind that is too bright for mortals to truly descry.

“When you walk with Glaukos-Sherlock, you see the battlefield.” And indeed, this strangely sharp creature is the embodiment of the beauty of war – the new war, in supposedly-civilized hearts and streets. And John, ever the chronicler, craves what Sherlock purveys.

Of course, one who possesses wisdom and is reborn into this digital age must learn to adapt. But the modern Athena is not unrecognizable. Though this incarnation eschews the craftsman, his purview remains the arts, the city, and law and justice.

Demeter-Now-Martha understands these paradoxes. Sito, but also Aganippe, quietly welcomes them to her home, and understands when they must leave it. This time; Eleusis is Baker Street, Demeter’s demesne, and it’s John who confers immortality on his brother Wisdom, but still Martha, fostering mother, knows what her broken boys need. She offers them respite after each skirmish in their city-turned-arena.

 

Famously, Polias was not the Queen-now-Brother’s kin. Nevertheless, when the old is made new, Sherlock is as beloved as a son by Cow-Eyed Mycroft. A dangerous disadvantage, this new affection. It leaves a weakness for Eris-now-Jim to exploit.

But the nameless Nike, sometimes Anthea, – a gift from Sherlock – is ever at Mycroft’s right hand, guiding unerringly his chosen to victory.

Until she is not: then the new god of Strife strikes. Not with an apple, no – no more apples – well, one more. But it’s the message, not the prize. Discord mustn’t repeat itself. He must be changeable; these are changing times.

This contest is ‘for the cleverest’, “brainy’ being ‘the new Sexy”. Hera-Mycroft, Pandemos-Irene, and Parthenos-Sherlock, each becomes both Paris and Goddess, offered their hearts’ desires – power, protection, distraction – in exchange for a dance.

Not satisfied, never satisfied, Moriarty pits Justice against itself; mentor against disciple. Dike-now-Sally vengefully measures Athena against human law, while her once-mother Themis-Greg argues a higher law is at stake. 

Pallas-Sherlock, ever clever, makes his own rules; seeks his own justice. He provides Eris-sometimes-Enyo a revelation: “I am you.”

For he is, of course he is. Are they not both patrons of war? To the hearts they both swear not to have, they are analogues: brothers.

 

Naturally, Promachos asked Hecate’s aid in performing the magic trick of creating a living-ghost. And Molly, who is Soteira, saw Grey-Eyed Holmes off into a war of his own careful design, until he could return triumphant to his Muse. But there is no end to the world’s evils, nor its secrets.

Thus, for the resurrected Athena, the game is once more on. First, he woos Eros-Jeanine, posing as her Psyche, that she might open the palace gates to him. Once within, however, even the Wise One finds himself surprised when confronted with the Implacable Avenger.

Mary, Mary, not-quite-Mary. As of old, Wisdom Unwearying must appease the Erinu. For, in this new age, even a Fury cannot strike another god with impunity, and their dear John has suffered enough. Areia offers Alecto a new epithet and abode, in exchange for justice delayed. Not a temple, better than; the home (and name) of a good man. Now, Mary of the Eumenides (or Semnai) Watson may at last take her rest. But the original problem remains.

Magnusson, hated and hateful, of a Stygian soul, is wroth over the many recent escapes from his domain, and believes himself to possess the immunity he sometimes bestows. But Styx miscalculates, ignorant of Sherlock’s new-learned willingness to sacrifice all, even his cunning.


	2. Glossary of Terms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a breakdown of which character is which god/goddess. I freely admit that many of these have less to do with the god or goddess matching the character, and more to do with it amused me to compare them. I put this together more-or-less in order of appearance, for ease of use.

#### Clio, now John Watson

One of the seven Muses, daughters of Zeus, who inspire mortals in creative pursuits. She is the Muse of History. Her name means “make famous”.

#### Athena, now Sherlock Holmes

The goddess of, in no particular order: cities, civilized life, wisdom, handicrafts, agriculture, justice and law, purity, and strategic battle.  
The daughter of Zeus, possibly alone, possibly in conjunction with Metis, Goddess of Wisdom, who Zeus ate after impregnating.  
She is one of the three virgin goddesses.

Alternate Names or Titles:  
**Glaukos:** Blue-Green, (possibly silver), in reference to her eyes, though it could also mean sharp, bright, or flashing, still in reference to her eyes, but denoting intelligence rather than color or shine. Often translated Grey-Eyed, for some reason.  
**Polias:** Of the City, signifying her protection of cities and civilization.  
**Parthenos:** (The Parthenon is her temple) The Maiden or Virgin Athena, upholder of purity and civilization.  
**Pallas:** Athena’s title when she dons the mantle of battle-goddess. It could originally refer to a Titan Athena defeated, or a friend she accidently slew whose name she took to honor him. There are other variations, but those are the important ones for this telling.  
**Promachos:** The First Fighter. Her title when she led in battle.  
**Areia:** The title Athena won when she convinced the Furies to stop tormenting Orestes because she proved his crime (matricide) had already been paid for by his suffering.

#### Demeter, now Martha Hudson

The goddess of the harvest, fertility and the poppy. She’s an extremely important earth goddess. She is also seen as someone connected with natural law (she created the seasons, after all), and therefore, as a potentially wrathful figure.

Alternate Names or Titles:  
**Sito:** Bringer of Grain  
**Aganippe:** The Mare that Destroys Mercifully, or the Night Mare.

Extra Note:  
**Eleusis** was the kingdom Demeter fled to when Hades took Persephone to the Underworld. Demeter, disguised as a human, was hired by the king to be nursemaid to his two sons. She was found to be a goddess when she was interrupted in the middle of a ceremony that would make one of the boys immortal, and was persuaded to leave, and leave the boy mortal, in exchange for a temple.

#### Hera, now Mycroft Holmes

The queen of the gods, wife of Zeus. Goddess of marriage, childbirth, married women, and civilization. She was incensed over Zeus bearing Athena, and conceived Hephaestus in retaliation.

She is best known for her jealousy, her ability to hold a grudge, and her implacable rage.

I freely admit I made this connection primarily because of that joke about ‘seeing the Queen’ in Scandal. Thinking of Mycroft with a pet peacock and cow-eyes made me giggle. (Hera is often describes as the ‘cow-eyed queen’; as far as I know, it’s her only epithet beyond her title of Queen of Heaven. O_o;)

#### Eris, now Jim Moriarty

The goddess of chaos and strife. There is an entirely separate goddess, or at least she was entirely separate at one time, who Eris is often conflated with in later texts:

 **Enyo:** Goddess of Battle, but specifically chaotic, brute force, or dishonorable battle. She often accompanies Ares, the God of War of the same style.

#### Nike, now ‘Anthea’

Goddess of Victory, usually accompanies Athena.

#### Aphrodite, now Irene Adler

The goddess of love, beauty and passion. She is the lover of Ares, god of dishonorable or chaotic war.

She is sometimes described as ‘laughter-loving’ and as being able to steal the wits of the wise. She may bring beauty to all she touches, or may prove malicious and treacherous, as the mood takes her.

Some claim there are two Aphrodites, the Aphrodite who resides in the heavens and presides over higher forms of love, the love between family, friends, or unconditional love, and the Aphrodite that resides in the human or material war, and presides over baser forms of love, like the carnal passions, particularly between a man and a woman.

Alternate Names or Titles:  
**Pandemos:** The title of Aphrodite when she is in the material world and/or commanding the baser loves.

#### Dike, now Sally Donovan

The goddess of human or lower justice, as determined by laws and society rather than divine writ. She doesn’t really have a personality in mythology, but is often seen at Zeus’ left hand in artwork.

#### Themis, now Greg Lestrade

The goddess of divine justice, or higher justice, as opposed to human justice. Her daughter is Dike. She doesn’t really have a personality in mythology, but is often seen at Zeus’ right hand in artwork.

#### Hecate, now Molly Hooper

An underworld goddess, sometimes considered an aspect of Artemis, virgin Goddess of the Hunt. Hecate is the goddess of the crossroads, magic, and the dark of the moon.

I know that Hecate is an evil or dangerous goddess in charge of terrible things. I’ve always been fascinated by her, despite this, and decided to play around a bit here. I know it’s not really a good fit except on the most superficial level, but Molly is multi-faceted and we’ve only really scratched the surface of all she can be, I think, and that’s what I wanted to convey; I’m not implying, with this pick, that I think she’s dark or evil. I ADORE Molly.

Alternate Names or Titles:  
**Soteira:** Goddess of magic, usually dark arts, like necromancy and the like.

#### Alecto, now Mary Morstan

One of the three Furies (Erinyes), specifically the avenger of moral crimes, as opposed to murders or jealousy and infidelity. The Furies were called the Eumenides (or Semnai) either in the same way the Fey were called Fair Folk (the way you say ‘good doggie’ to a rabid mongrel, not because it’s true but because you want it to be), or as a title they earned after Athena convinced them to stay their persecution of Orestes during his trial. Athena further offered them a temple, where the people left offerings, in theory curbing them from their rage and making them more benevolent, or at least, more choosy.

#### Eros, now Jeanine

The god of carnal love, his roman counterpart is Cupid. He’s sometimes the son, sometimes the companion of Aphrodite. When her companion, he is pure and beautiful and kind. When her son, he’s often at best naughty, at worst cruel.  
One of the more famous stories involving him is ‘Cupid and Psyche’, which is generally seen as a precursor to ‘Beauty and the Beast’, where Psyche is the beauty.

I don’t feel confident in my read of Jeanine yet. I think she’s interesting, and I’m glad we’re seeing more of her in Season 4 (if Moffat can be believed), but I’m not sure where she falls, morally. I therefor reserve the right to completely reassign her should later canon dictate a necessary change, here.

#### Styx, now Charles Augustus Magnusson

The Goddess of the River Styx, one of the three rivers of the Underworld. She is vengeful, but very conscious of debts. She was the first to aid Zeus against the Titans because she recognized she owed him fealty, and when oaths sworn in her name are broken, she is vicious in her vengeance. Styx means ‘Hateful’ or ‘Detested’.

**Author's Note:**

> I might expand this into a series of one-shots, delving into each of the characters mentioned a bit more. I have a few ideas, but haven't found the time.


End file.
